Nothing but Life
by Brent van Staalduinen
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Mar 16 2021 | Archive Date Jan 03 2021
Talking about this book? Use #NothingButLife #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
During a sweltering summer, Dills must come to terms with a horrific crime and the parent he loves who committed it.
Dills and his mom have returned to Hamilton, her hometown, hoping to leave the horrors of Windsor behind. But it’s impossible to escape the echoes of tragedy, and trouble always follows trouble.
When Dills hurts a new classmate, it comes out in court that he was in the Windsor High library when the shooter came in. But he won’t talk about what he saw, what he still sees whenever he closes his eyes. He can’t. He definitely can’t tell anyone that the Windsor Shooter is his stepfather, Jesse, that Jesse can speak into his mind from hundreds of kilometres away, and that Dills still loves him even though he committed an unspeakable crime.
Advance Praise
"As Dills tells his story and shares the worst and weirdest summer of his life, it feels deliciously like eavesdropping. A compelling read." - Karen Bass, author of Two Times a Traitor
"Capturing perfectly the tender chaos of adolescence, Nothing but Life grabs you by the heartstrings and won’t let go. Beautifully written and satisfyingly redemptive." - Roz Nay, bestselling author of Hurry Home
"In Nothing but Life, Brent van Staalduinen offers readers what the news often fails to provide in the wake of a mass shooting — what remains in the aftermath beyond sensationalism and how those affected grieve. In following a young boy and his family's journey toward healing after someone they love commits unthinkable violence, this novel sings with sorrow, yes, but also with great empathy and love." - Anne Valente, author of The Desert Sky Before Us
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781459746183 |
| PRICE | $12.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 304 |
Links
Featured Reviews
Educator 539848
This is the story of Dills, who has recently started community service work as part of his punishment for stabbing a classmate. During his sentencing, consideration is given to his circumstances: Dills and his mum have just returned to her hometown, following a shooting at Dills' school, in which his much-loved step-father was the shooter.
I felt that this book had so much promise but never really got going. I don't feel like I really got to know any of the characters, which is a shame as there are several who I think would probably have quite interesting backstories if they were explored. The book almost read like one part of a larger book/series told from different perspectives, only with the rest of it missing. I wanted to know more about Gal, Pat and Sean in particular.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Erin Baldwin, Amanda Woody, Julian Winters, Bessie Flores Zaldívar, Adam Sass, Jennifer Dugan
LGBTQIAP+, Teens & YA
